


When In Rome

by VolsungartheMighty



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Human AU!, M/M, Mentioned Brett Talbott/Nolan Holloway, Mentioned Mason Hewitt/Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Piercings, Surfing, and shit ensues, ice cream and pizza, on holiday, post college, they decide to go to rome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 01:36:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15474618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolsungartheMighty/pseuds/VolsungartheMighty
Summary: Gabe's been crushing on Corey for longer than he can remember, but while he and his friends are all on holiday, will he be able to pick up the courage to finally do something about it?





	When In Rome

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GlitterCake20](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterCake20/gifts).



> I blame Sammy for all of this. That is all.  
> Also, thank you Sammy for the cover. It is amazing, as is everything you do.

***

“Hey, do you know how to surf?” a voice yelled out to Gabe, and he raised his sunglasses up, looking up to see Corey standing at the end of his beach towel, two boards in hand.

“Uh… no, I don’t know how” Gabe said, sitting up, craning his neck up to look at Corey.

Corey’s smile wilted slightly, but was back in full force within moments as he said “That’s okay, I’ll teach you.”

“Why would you do that?” Gabe asked, standing from his spot on the beach and following Corey down to the surf.

“It’s fun” Corey said, flashing that brilliant smile back at him, and something in Gabe lurched at the sight. “Besides, you look like you need something to occupy your attention.”

_Well, you’re not wrong there_ , Gabe thought, coming up to stand beside Corey.

The two of them, along with the half of the lacrosse team that had graduated, had all pooled their money into a holiday, one well deserved holiday after the hell that was college. But the close group of friends, consisting of Mason, Corey, Nolan, Liam, Brett, Theo and Gabe himself, had decided they needed to go somewhere big. Really big. Somewhere… not within the United States.

And so the group of friends had all decided to go to Rome. There was something there for everyone. Liam could go see museums and ancient architecture. Mason and Theo got to tag along with him, a lovable grin on their faces as their boyfriend babbled on endlessly about some historical thing or another. Brett and Nolan got to go sightseeing, traveling all around Italy to other cities like Milan, Florence and Venice.

Even after being here for just over a week, Gabe was still surprised by how close everything was. You could be in Florence by car in a little under an hour and a half, spend the day there and be back before dinner. It was a little… surreal.

As it was, Gabe’s mind had been preoccupied for most of the trip. About a month before graduation he’d come to realise he wasn’t as straight as he’d thought, and what did he know, he’d been crushing on one of his teammates for a bit longer. And now, the object of his affections wanted to teach him how to surf.

This was going to be interesting.

Their feet in the surf, Corey passed one of the boards over to Gabe, who took it from him, holding it awkwardly at his side.

“So, I know they usually teach you on the beach first how to stand and all” Corey said, pushing back a few strands of hair that had flopped in front of his face. “But… I’ll show you the way I was taught, out on the water. Okay?”

Gabe could only nod, watching as Corey ran forward, diving into the waves, board held in front of him, his momentum pushing him across the surface of the water, before he started paddling, pushing himself further out from shore. Gabe waited a few moments, letting Corey go ahead, before he ran forward, diving forward like Corey had.

He wasn’t prepared for the face full of salty sea water that hit him, but he managed to stay on the board, his momentum propelling him across the surface. He awkwardly paddled across the surface of the water, what small waves there were making him bob up and down in the water, making it harder for him to stay on the board than Corey made it look.

They were about a hundred metres out from the shore when Corey stopped, moving so he was sitting on his board, legs either side, his feet dangling in the cool water. Gabe managed to stop his board from colliding with Corey’s, before he followed suit, straddling the board and facing Corey.

“I thought you said you didn’t know how to surf” Corey said, smile wide and brilliant. His skin, normally pale, had become a nice tan from the Mediterranean sun, and Gabe couldn’t keep his eyes off of the boy.

“I don’t know how to surf” Gabe said, collecting his thoughts, eyes roaming up and down Corey’s lean, shirtless torso. “But my parents owned a lake house, and I used to swim out on a board all the time. I just… haven’t been able to while in college, is all. Little rusty.”

Corey nodded his head in understanding, smile never once faltering as his eyes bore into Gabe’s. “Okay then. Let me see” he raised a hand up, stroking his chin, the beginnings of what Gabe thought would be a good-looking beard growing in. “Do you know how to stand on the board properly?”

“Isn’t this the stuff they normally teach us on land?” Gabe asked, looking around nervously. There was no one around them for ages, most people preferring to stay in the shallows around rock pools further down the beach, or closer to shore, where they could keep an eye on their stuff.

“It is, but when I was learning, I found it hard to get used to learning while on land, where everything’s steady, and then getting out on to the water, where everything’s moving” Corey said, clambering up so that he was crouched on the board, perfectly balanced. “So, I figured, it would be easier to teach you out on the water. Plus, you don’t look like an absolute idiot while on land. See?”

He pointed back over to the shore, where a surfing instructor was teaching a group of tourists how to surf on land. They all looked like idiots, arms held to the sides as the stood on the boards, moving around from side to side, as if they were dancing almost. Gabe couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight they made, and Corey joined in.

When the laughter died down, Corey reached over, gripping Gabe’s shoulder tightly and shaking it. “Come on, I’ll show you what to do.”

Gabe nodded, flushing slightly at the touch, but didn’t look away from Corey.

“So, first things first, you’ll normally be in this position” Corey said, positioning himself so that he was laying atop the board, stomach and chest pressed against it, his back on display for Gabe to stare at. “Your normally like this right up until you’re on the wave, and then when you’re ready, you get into this position.” He moved fluidly, moving so he was crouched on the board again, his left leg forward, right knee positioned beneath him. He held himself low to the board, keeping himself steady. “You want to try it? I can do it again, but slower, if you want?”

“No. I, uh… I think I got it” Gabe said, nodding his head vigorously, moving to lay down on the board. He stayed there for a few seconds, before pushing himself up and into the position Corey was in now. He hadn’t been as fluid in his movements as Corey had been, but it was something that would get better with practice.

Corey smiled at him as he said, “Good. Perfect, even. With a bit more practice you’ll be able to do that a lot smoother.”

Gabe smiled at the praise, unused to it from someone like Corey. It wasn’t that he was unused to praise in general. He’d been one of the star players on the lacrosse team, cheered on by hundreds of spectators and fans. But there was something about receiving that very same praise from the guy he was crushing on that made something warm and fuzzy tingle in his gut.

“Now, from here is where it gets a little tricky” Corey said, concentrating as he stood smoothly, legs held shoulder width apart, one in front of him and one behind. He held his arms out, but rather than to the sides like the tourists on the beach, he held one arm out in front of him, one behind. “You think you can get to this position?”

Gabe nodded slightly as he slowly stood, the board wobbling ominously below him. He noticed his footing was a little off and went to move his foot into a better position, and then he was suddenly falling, the water coming up to meet him.

He splashed into the water, sending up a wave that threatened to knock Corey off of his board, but he managed to crouch down into a better position, grabbing onto the sides of the board with both hands to stop him from falling. When Gabe surfaced, Corey’s light, tinkling laugh filled the air.

“Thanks for warning me” Gabe said, a smile tugging at his lips. He couldn’t be mad at Corey, after all.

Gabe climbed back onto the board, straddling the sides as Corey continued to laugh, bringing a hand up to wipe at his eyes.

“That was hilarious, sorry” Corey said, broad smile directed at Gabe. “I should have told you not to move your foot. It’ll upset your balance, and you’ll topple over.”

“Gotcha” Gabe said with a nod, getting back into position so he was laying on the board, moving into the same crouch Corey was in now.

“Together?” Corey asked, and when Gabe nodded, they both rose slowly, feet coming to rest shoulder width apart, arms outstretched. Gabe’s board still wobbled ominously, but he hadn’t fallen yet, so he considered that to be a plus.

“See, not that hard, is it?” Corey asked with a smile, both men falling back into the crouch they’d stood from, before sitting back down on their boards, legs straddling the sides. “You want to try that on some waves, or try a few more times?”

Gabe looked out over the bay, watching the tourists and other beach goers frolic near the shore. There was an area a bit further up the bay, clear of tourists, and had some small waves, big enough to try and surf on.

“Might as well try on some waves” Gabe said with a shrug, pointing over towards where he’d seen the waves. Is that good enough?”

Corey nodded his head, moving to lay on the board and paddle over to the area, a bit further out than they had been, so they were behind where the waves were forming. Gabe followed behind him, excited to try this with Corey.

They came to a stop, sitting on their boards next to each other, watching the bay with a critical eye.

“So, now comes the hard part. You’re probably going to fall off quite a bit here, but don’t worry. We all do. I still do, if that helps” Corey said, laying back down on the board. Before he started moving, he turned his neck, looking up at Gabe. “Watch me carefully, okay. It’s easier to show, rather than explain this part.”

Gabe nodded, watching as Corey swam off, beyond where the waves were forming. He turned his board around, before he paddled back towards the waves, turning his board onto an angle. Just as he was about to hit a wave, he came up into a crouch, fluidly moving into a standing position shortly after. He hit the wave, cresting it slightly, before falling back downwards, the wave pushing him onwards.

Gabe watched from his position, as every muscle in Corey’s body flexed and relaxed, the board moving as if it were an extension of his own body. When he had had enough, Corey fully crested the wave, falling into a crouch, and then laying down, before paddling back over to Gabe.

“You think you can do that?” Corey asked with a smirk, almost as if in challenge.

Gabe arched an eyebrow, but said nothing, moving so he was laying on the board and paddled out to where Corey had been, turning back to face the waves. Even though they were small, only coming up to his chest, nothing had seemed so daunting to him before.

He paddled out, into the oncoming waves, moving into a crouch just as the board was about to hit the wave, and went to stand, but as he did so, the board dipped beneath the waves and he was flung into the water.

He came up sputtering, his board surfacing nearby a few moments later. He swam towards it, pulling himself up, before turning the board around, determined to at least be able to stand while moving.

It took him a few more attempts, trying and failing to stand on the board as he crested the waves. But finally he was able to get the right balance, the right speed, the right motions to be able to surf for the first time in his life.

He only went a few metres before he fell off, but it was a start.

After a few more attempts, getting a little further with each one, he finally paddled his way back over to Corey, who wore a bright smile on his face. He was clapping and applauding, and Gabe couldn’t help but blush as he drew closer.

“That was great Gabe, well done” Corey exclaimed, clapping Gabe on the back as he sat up. The move threatened the send Gabe into the water again, but Corey was quick to grip his arm tightly, keeping him balanced. “Keep this up and you’ll be a pro in no time.”

“You think so?” Gabe asked, that fluttering feeling coming to life in his stomach again.

“Who knows, you could be the next world champion, and just don’t know it yet” Corey said proudly, moving his board closer to Gabe’s so he could sling an arm around his shoulders. “Imagine it. Gabe Callahan, Surfing World Champion.”

He said it with such seriousness that Gabe felt like he could actually believe him.

“Don’t lie, Cor” Gabe said, elbowing him gently in the ribs. “What did you actually think?”

Corey smiled brightly, looking down into the clear water beneath them. “I will admit, I thought it would take you a few more tries before you could actually stand while moving” he said, smiling down at the water. “But you did really well for someone who said they’d never surfed before.”

“Well, that’s good to know” Gabe said, leaning back against his board, hands spread wide. They sat like that for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of the sun on their skin and the scent of the waves in the air.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving” Corey said suddenly, turning to Gabe. You want to head back to shore, or do you wanna stay out here?”

“No, I’m hungry too” Gabe said, suddenly noticing how hungry he was. “We’ll head back together, before we grab a bite to eat, yeah?”

Corey nodded his head in agreement as he lay down on the board, before he said “I’ll race you to shore” before shooting off.

Gabe sat on his board for a moment, a little dumfounded, before he moved quickly, laying on his board and swimming towards the shore.

Corey, of course, made it to shore first thanks to his head start, and Gabe just smiled as Corey laughed while he dismounted in the surf, picking up his board and wading through the water to the shore. They slowly made their way through the crowds of beach goers to where their towels had been laid out, quickly rolling them up and slipping on their thongs, rifling through their bags to make sure everything was there before they made there way over to the board rental stand.

They handed the boards back, thanking the woman behind the counter in broken Italian before they made their way to the streets, the bright sun quickly drying them off.

“Do you want to head back to the hotel so we can shower off, or do you wanna just go and get lunch?” Corey asked, turning to face Gabe, walking backwards as he smiled at him.

Despite his hunger, Gabe knew he would regret it if he didn’t have a shower first, so he said, “We’ll head to the hotel first, and then grab some lunch. Food can wait.”

Corey nodded, turning back around so that he was walking forwards again as they made their way back to the hotel. They walked in a comfortable silence, broken periodically as each of them pointed out somewhere that would be good for a photo, or just general sightseeing.

Both boys sighed in relief as they stepped into the foyer of the hotel, the cool, airconditioned room a relief from the heat of the sun outside. Gabe mused that it may have been a little better had they put shirts on after leaving the beach but couldn’t deny that he preferred to watch Corey shirtless.

They took the elevator together, separating once they got to their floor, going to their separate rooms. It was cool and dark in Gabe’s room, the curtains pulled shut in an effort to keep the heat of the day out, but despite that, it was incredibly stuffy inside. He walked across the room, pulling the curtains aside, letting in some of the sunlight and opening one of the windows, letting the warm breeze from outside ventilate the room.

He rummaged through his suitcase, pulling out shorts, underwear and a t-shirt, along with his toiletry bag, before making his way into the bathroom.

As he got the water running, waiting for it to get to the right temperature, he stripped out of his board shorts and underwear, standing in the middle of the bathroom naked as it slowly started to fog up. He checked the temperature of the water, before stepping under the spray, letting the warm water wash away the sand and sea water.

He felt his muscles relaxing under the warm spray as he slowly soaped himself up, letting the water wash it all away as he stood there. He hadn’t realised _exactly_ how hard he had pushed himself while surfing with Corey, and he winced slightly as the muscles in his back ached, and his legs burned from holding himself steady on the board.

As he washed himself, pouring out shampoo and massaging it into his scalp, he let his mind wander. It really was good just to be on holiday, relaxing after the years of stress at Uni. And while he loved being in Rome, loved hanging out with his friends, he couldn’t help but feel… lonely. Something about having watched most of his friends get together over the past year had left him… wanting something more than just friends in his life. And while he’d had a few casual hook-ups during his time at Uni, it had only helped dull that longing for a little while.

As he rinsed the soap out of his hair, his thoughts turned to Corey, the slim, yet firm muscled goal keeper for the University Lacrosse team. Looking back, it wasn’t hard to tell that he’d been crushing on the shorter man for a while, even before he’d realised he was bisexual. But his mind wandered even further, to thoughts of Corey sweaty and shirtless after a game, to Corey shirtless and tanned, straddling the surfboard from just mere moments ago.

He felt his cock stirring to life, and he groaned, wrapping a soaped-up hand around the length. The water beat down in a steady rhythm ass he slowly began stroking himself, his thumb coming up to rub across the sensitive head in the up stroke, his wrist twisting slightly on the down stroke. Precum dripped from the tip of his dick in a steady stream, easing the glide with every stroke, his thumb pressing into the slit when he was able, rubbing it all along his length.

It wasn’t long before he was moaning loudly, cumming against the wall of the shower, thoughts of Corey, tanned and shirtless and smiling at _him_ rocketing through his mind as he came. His vision went white for a few moments, and he stumbled back, pressing his bare back and ass against the cool glass of the shower, chest heaving as he took great big lungful’s of air.

He grabbed a damp cloth, wiping his dick clean of left over soap and pre, before he wiped down the wall, clearing away the mess. He couldn’t see himself in the mirror, but he could feel his cheeks and neck burning red, ashamed at having jerked off to the thought of one of his friends.

He stepped out of the shower, shutting off the water, and slowly began towelling himself dry with one of the fluffy towels the hotel provided for them. As the steam dissipated slowly, he walked over to the sink, running a dry corner of his towel over the mirror, clearing a spot so he could look at himself through the steamy haze.

He knew he was good looking. Of that, he was certain. He had had a few girlfriends all through high school and University, and since his sexual awakening, he had had a few encounters with guys, all of whom had gushed at how good looking he was. But… he couldn’t help but wonder. Was he good enough for Corey? Did Corey like him the way he liked Corey? Or did Corey only like him as a friend?

Those thoughts, and many others swirled in his mind as he dressed, pulling on a cream coloured shirt, loose and baggy, perfect or the summer heat, and a pair of grey cargo shorts over black boxers. He wiped more of the mirror clean, running a brush through it, getting out any knots and kinks, before running his hand through it, messing it up a little.

He gave himself a final once over, nodding to himself slightly, before going back into his room, grabbing his phone, wallet and room key before he walked out into the hall, pulling the door shut behind him.

He was a little surprised to find Corey standing outside his door, leaning against the wall across from him, in a simple grey t-shirt and blue denim shorts.

“Looking good Gabe” Corey said as he pushed himself off the wall, giving Gabe an appreciative once over.

“Not bad yourself Cor” Gabe said, smiling at the blush that bloomed on Corey’s cheeks. The tingling sensation in his gut grew stronger. Maybe he did have a chance.

They made their way back out of the hotel, the heat hitting them like a brick to the face, sweat beading on their foreheads immediately. They both rushed to put on sunglasses, warding off the worst of the suns light, before they took a left and started walking down the street.

The streets were crowded, full of tourists and residents going about their business. Gabe managed to catch snippets of conversation, people shouting for friends or relatives, shop owners shouting their wares, the clanking of food carts and cars, all of which served to add to the clamour and the noise.

A tugging at his shoulder had him turning to his right. Corey was insistently pulling on the sleeve of his shirt, saying something, but Gabe was unable to hear him over the noise of the street. Corey instead nodded his head to the side, pulling Gabe along with him and down a side street.

The noise followed them, and it wasn’t until they had exited the side street, coming out onto another main road, this one a little quieter, that Gabe was able to hear what Corey was saying.

“As I was trying to say, what do you want for lunch?” he asked, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

“What about pasta?”

“We had that last night” Corey said with a sigh.

“Okay, what about pizza?” Gabe asked, wracking his brain for something.

“I suppose. We haven’t actually had that since we got here, have we” Corey said, pulling out his phone and doing a quick search. “Okay, there’s a place down here that does some good pizza, apparently. We’ll go there.”

“Okay, lead the way” Gabe said, smiling as Corey started marching down the road, Gabe following right behind him.

The restaurant was a small, family run business, stone walls covered in paintings and posters. They ordered their food in broken Italian, before sitting down and waiting for their food. It wasn’t long before their food arrived, and they started digging in, starving after the mornings activities at the beach.

When they stepped out of the restaurant, it was a little cooler, a breeze coming in off the ocean, cooling down the city.

“So, is there anything else you’d like to do?” Corey asked, walking backwards again as he watched Gabe, hands in his pockets.

They passed a few store fronts, and once caught Gabe’s eye. He pointed to it, and Corey gave him a flat stare, but followed Gabe in any way.

A small bell chimed as they entered, and a short, slim, balding man entered from the back, a broad smile on his face.

“Ah, customers” he said in heavily accented English. “Come in, come in. How can I help you today? Would you like a tattoo? Or piercing? Why not both?”

“Just a piercing today” Gabe said, walking over to the glass counter and looking inside at the assortment of rings and bars they had.

“Yes, yes. What kind, what kind?” The man asked, pulling out a few trays of piercings as Corey joined Gabe, looking at the assortment with mild interest.

Gabe thought for a moment, looking over the bits of metal, before he said, “I’d like a nose piercing. Preferably a ring.”

“Yes, yes, of course sir” the man replied, putting some trays back, before pushing one in front of Gabe. “Which one would you like?”

Gabe looked over them, before pointing to one. It was a simple, slim silver ring, one that seemed like it would be easy to take off if needed.

“That is very good choice for you, young sir” the man said with a smile, pulling one out of the tray, before looking at Corey. “Anything for you, young man?”

Corey jumped, as if he hadn’t been expected to be called on by the man, before opening his mouth to speak. But the man held a hand op, stopping him before he could speak.

“Wait, let me guess” the man said, a serious look on his face. “You want eyebrow piercing, yes?”

Corey’s jaw dropped, mouth gaping for a moment before he nodded. “How did you know?”

“I saw you looking at them young man” the man said, a mischievous smile on his face. He looked at Corey critically, before he pointed at one on the tray. “I recommend this one. It should suit you well.”

Gabe arched an eyebrow, looking at the one the man had pointed out. It was a short, curved bar with a ball on one end, and a spike on the other.

Corey nodded his head. “I’ll get that one then, thank you.”

“It is my pleasure” the man said, motioning them into the back of the store.

They walked out ten minutes later, pockets a little light, each one of them admiring the others piercing.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to go and see the Trevi Fountain” Gabe said a little while later, looking down at his feet as he walked. “Mum did always say it was a wonderful place to go.”

He walked a bit further, eyes downcast before he realised that Corey had stopped walking.

“What did you mean ‘she _did_ say it was wonderful’?” Corey asked as Gabe neared him, voice low.

“My mum passed away when I was in high school” Gabe said, cocking his head to the side. “I thought I told you that?”

Gabe started walking again, Corey swiftly catching up to him. “No, you didn’t tell me that at all. Do you… do you mind if I ask what happened?”

Gabe nodded as they came to a stop at a bus stop, silence falling between them as they boarded the near empty bus, getting a seat near the back. Once they were seated, Gabe said, “She had a form of cancer called non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. It’s a difficult one to treat, cause you can be given the all clear and go back six months later and boom, you have it again.” Gabe sighed, looking out the window. “She was from here, you know. Born and raised here in Rome. She met dad while she was studying abroad in New York, where, funnily enough, he was studying abroad too.”

He wiped his eyes, suddenly glistening with tears, as Corey said, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay” Gabe said with a watery smile. “You didn’t know.” He sniffled slightly, wiping his eyes again. “You know, her family disowned her because she met my dad? They probably don’t even know that she passed away.” He shook his head, looking out the window of the bus, watching the sun as it slowly set in the west. “She’s why I wanted to come here so badly, you know. She always wanted to bring my dad and I here, to see where she grew up. I think she maybe even wanted to try and make amends with her family, but then work always got in the way and then she got sick, and… dad never had the heart to come here. Not without here.”

Corey slung an arm around his shoulders, gripping him tightly to his side, shaking him slightly. “Hey, it’s alright” he said lightly. “You’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

“Yeah, your right” Gabe said, directing his smile towards Corey, who smiled back at him. They both looked out the window, before Gabe said, “I think this one coming up is our stop.”

When the bus pulled up and its doors opened, they both stepped off, Corey with his phone out, directing them towards the Trevi Fountain. It wasn’t long before they stood in front of it, marvelling at its beauty.

And it really was beautiful. Water cascaded down what looked to be a natural rock formation, atop which stood statues of hippocamp’s, half horse half fish creatures, pulling Oceanus in his sea shell chariot.

“It really is beautiful” Gabe said, a broad smile on his face. “She was right. It really is wonderful.”

Corey hooked an arm around his side, pulling him in and giving him support, and he was thankful for that. Gabe wiped his eyes of any tears yet again, before he looked around them, watching how people threw coins into the fountain.

“Have you got some coins on you?” Gabe asked, and Corey looked at him quizzically, before he noticed the other people in the square.

“Yeah, I should have a few on me” Corey said, digging into his pockets, before pulling his hand out, a wide grin tugging at his lips. “Here you go” he said, giving one of the two coins to Gabe.

They walked to the edge together, looking into the depths of the water. It was shallow, and had a thick layer of coins at the bottom, from the thousands of previous wishes made.

Gabe thought for a moment, wondering what he was going to wish for. But the warm body at his side, still gripping him tightly, was all the answer he needed.

_I wish I could tell Corey how I feel_ Gabe thought, as he flicked the coin into the fountain.

There was no rush of wind, no sudden light that lit up the slowly darkening sky, no clamouring of drums or cupids flying down from the sky. It was rather… anticlimactic, and really made Gabe want to jump into the fountain to get his coin back.

They stood there for a few more minutes, looking into the water of the fountain, before Gabe pulled away from Corey, someone quickly filling the free space, Corey soon following Gabe.

They walked away from the fountain as Gabe’s eyes fell on an ice cream cart. “Would you like one?” he asked, pulling out some money as he walked over to the cart.

“Sure” Corey said.

Gabe ordered two cones, one with chocolate and strawberry for him, while Corey got watermelon and raspberry flavoured ice cream. They thanked the man running the cart, before they walked down the street, turning into a side alley and sitting down on a step, slurping at their ice creams. He was quick to finish his ice cream, before he looked around at their surroundings.

The street before them sloped down hill, a series of stairs going all the way down to the street that ran perpendicular to this one, and Gabe couldn’t help but think that the sight was perfect. He could see over most of the city, the sky a deep red as the sun started to set. Gabe couldn’t help but freeze where he was standing, looking out over the city. It was a beautiful sight, one that was truly magnificent.

“Hey, Gabe. Is everything okay?” Corey asked, and Gabe tore his eyes away from the city, to look at Corey.

He truly was beautiful, looking at him now in the light of the setting sun. In that moment, Gabe knew he had fallen hard for his former teammate, and he didn’t know why he hadn’t acted on his feelings earlier.

Without thinking, Gabe stepped forwards, hands coming up to grip Corey’s shoulders as he leaned in, kissing Corey full on the lips.

But Corey didn’t kiss back.

Gabe pulled back slowly, horror and anger and self loathing clouding his mind. _Fuck, I’ve fucked things up_ he thought, watching Corey. _He never liked me, and he never will. Why the fuck did I do that?_

Corey’s mouth moved, as if he was going to say something, but Gabe couldn’t stand it. Tears were welling in his eyes, and a sob was building in his chest wanting to escape, and he couldn’t stand hearing the rejection that was sure to come. He couldn’t do it, and so he ran, bolting down the alley, a strangled sob escaping his lips as he ran, Corey shouting after him to stop.

But he didn’t stop. He kept on running, not bothering to watch where he was going. He ran into a few people, knocking them over, Corey running after him and shouting his name. But he ducked into an alleyway, taking a sharp left, and then a right, coming out onto the other street. He bolted across the road, not bothering to look for cars. A few almost hit him, coming to a screeching halt, horns blaring.

It drowned out Corey’s voice, making it slightly more bearable as he ran, Corey’s voice getting softer and softer as he got further and further away. When he could no longer hear Corey’s voice, he came stumbling to a stop in some side street. He leaned against the wall, falling to the ground, hunched in on himself, and cried.

He didn’t know how long he sat there for, sobbing and balling his eyes out, but when he looked up to the sound of footsteps ringing off the cobblestones, the sky was dark and the moon was out.

“There you are” Corey’s familiar voice called out, and Gabe froze, looking up at the man he had fallen in love with. Corey had a hurt look on his face, and was panting slightly, as if he had been running.

He sat down next to Gabe, moving to sling an arm around his shoulders, but Gabe moved out of the way, muttering out a bitter, “Don’t touch me.”

Corey let out a huff of annoyance, and Gabe saw him shaking his head out of the corner of his eye. “Seriously Gabe, what the fuck?” Corey asked, face contorted in anger. “We were having so much fun, and then you kiss me without warning and then _run off_. Seriously, what the hell is wrong?”

Gabe shrunk in on himself, the small flame of hope that had flared into existence at Corey’s appearance snuffed out.

When Gabe didn’t say anything, Corey shook his head, letting out a sigh. “You want to know what I wished for, back at the fountain?” He turned his head, looking at Gabe, who didn’t answer. Corey turned his head back, eyes staring up at the stars that had started to appear. “I wished that I would be able to get the courage up to kiss you.”

Gabe’s head snapped up, looking over at Corey, eyes searching his face for any sign of a lie. “But… why didn’t you kiss me back?” he asked, voice hoarse from crying for so long.

Corey looked at him, a fond smile on his face. “You didn’t give me any time to prepare, you idiot” Corey said, shaking his head. “I just… froze, completely surprised that you actually liked me and then next thing I knew you were running off and you wouldn’t stop.”

“So you… you like me?” Gabe asked, brain short circuiting, hope flaring to life in his chest. He wiped his eyes again, a watery smile tugging at his lips.

Corey nodded, a smile pulling at his lips too. “Of course I do, you idiot. Do you think I would have chased you through half of Rome if I didn’t?”

Gabe supposed he was right, shuffling a little closer to Corey. “So…” he started, hope and courage flaring ever stronger in his chest. “Could I… uh… could I kiss you again? Properly this time?”

“I thought you’d never ask” Corey said, pulling Gabe forward, pressing their lips together.

It was much better this time around, what with Corey kissing back. His lips tasted like the ice cream he had had earlier, watermelon and raspberry mixing with the taste of chocolate and strawberry that still filled Gabe mouth. Corey’s lips were chapped and a little rough against his own, but it was magical in its own way.

When they pulled back, each one panting lightly, they were both smiling.

“Fuck that was good” Gabe said, resting his forehead against Corey’s. “I’m so sorry for running off on you. I didn’t mean to be an asshole.”

Corey couldn’t help but smile, pecking Gabe on the lips. “I know you’re sorry Gabe, and that’s all that matters” he said, arms tightening slightly around Gabe’s shoulders. “Besides, I probably would have run off if you’d frozen on me, so I call it even.”

Gabe couldn’t hold back the chuckle at Corey’s comment, and if Corey silenced him with yet another kiss, who was he to complain.


End file.
